As War Looms On The Horizon
by Destiny's-Perfection
Summary: Anime based. Years have passed and finally the prodigal sons and daughter have returned to Death City. Kid seems to be in a perpetual state of shock. Maka and Soul are not happy.


**Discliamer**: No profit, no gain, no ownership.

**Spoiler Alert!** Persons who have not finished watching the Soul Eater anime are advised that the ending of said anime is discussed.

AR HP/SE Crossover.  
>Trying to teach an old cliche, new tricks.<br>This story really kicks off right after Medusa's defeat, but before the final battle against Asura.  
>I've taken some liberty and created a gap between these two events. I've taken an even greater liberty and screwed around with a lot of smaller details. See if you can spot them.<p>

Asterisk (*) and numerical references found at end of this story.

On a personal note: This story is complete and was only written to alleviate the author's block I seem to be chronically suffering from.

* * *

><p><strong>AS WAR LOOMS ON THE HORIZON<strong>

_By Destiny's-Prefection_

Growing up, the only real ambition that Harry had had was the desire to defeat Voldemort. Sure he'd dreamed once of settling down, getting married (maybe even to Ginny) and having children, but now that he looks back he realizes that these were merely passing fancies. Deep down inside he'd never really _wanted_ it. The defeat of Voldemort though? That had been different. That was something that he had desired with all of his heart and craved with every last morsel of his soul. He would have done anything to make sure that he accomplished it; and in the end, he'd had to.  
>The Deathly Hallows in the hands of the Boy-Who-Lived had spelled the end of Voldemort; and it had also meant to the end of the boy once known as Harry Potter.<p>

* * *

><p>It's been over a thousand years since he's been here, maybe even more. Now that he thinks back, he can't quite recall. The terrain is different; so too is the school and the village that used to be near it, but in some respects it is still the same. He walks past the civilians and the children, the meisters and their weapons; none of them sparing a second glance, but he sees all that he passes. Nostalgically, he thinks of the past, of millions of years ago and he remember the glory that used to Hogwarts and the little village of Hogsmeade. In its place now is Death City. A monument in itself, but still it lacks the awe inspiring wonder that Hogwarts had used to captivate her students. Despite the fact that it's been over a thousand years since he's last stepped foot in this city, he still feels like he's come home; and even though it has been eons since Hogwarts once stood in this same place, he imagines that he can still feel her presence, welcoming him back.<p>

* * *

><p>The final battle against the Dark Lord had been terrifying and the damage had been enormous. Hundreds of thousands killed, millions injured, the total damage to economies was mind-blowing; but in the end, it had been worth it. Harry Potter, with the use of the Deathly Hallows had managed to destroy Lord Voldemort once and for all.<br>If only that had been the end.  
>The Deathly Hallows, finally having found a master that could unite and weild them with the ease of a seasoned pro, seemed to develop a mind of its own. It's only objective? To ensure that the first being to master them since Death would continue to survive to wield them, even if that meant surviving for eternity.<br>He was 25 when he finally realized that something was wrong. He'd known that wizards aged differently, that they had longer life spans than muggles, but being 25 and still looking as he did seven years ago? Harry knew that something was wrong. He didn't know just how wrong it would be.  
>In the end it had been Hermione, in all her genius, that had managed to answer the baffling question. The Deathly Hallows had, in all essence, frozen Harry's body; he was perpetually 17 years old. They'd tried everything to remedy the situation; aging potions, charms, spells from the most remote of tribes buried away from civilisation. By the time Harry turn 46; he had resigned himself to the idea that nothing could be done, and he was right.<br>Years passed and Harry watched as his friends aged and matured; married and gave birth to little spitting images of them. He watched as his friends passed into the next life and still he was the same-faced 17 year old that had led them out of the darkness into the dawn of a brighter future. He watched as his friends children passed, and then their grandchildren, and still he remained the same. He watched as almost 300 years after the defeat of Voldemort, muggle discovered the existence of wizards and he watched as the world tore itself asunder under that wars that broke out between brothers and families, between neighbours and countries. Hundreds of years passed and still the wars raged and so Harry excused himself from society and settled instead for watching from afar as the world warred and changed around him. He watched as magic morphed and developed, as muggle and magical became one. He watched as a new breed of muggles were born, and he watched as a new breed of magical were born. He watched them wage war against one another, fighting until slowly, person by person, they destroyed what was left of the human race. He watched as the world around him changed. Seas became deserts, mountains became sand, and deserts became filled with gushing water. And still Harry sat and continued to watch as the world that had changed so dramatically, changed itself back; and slowly, as if history had begun to repeat itself, the countries that he had known so long ago in his youth began to form. Continents shifted, landmasses moved and hundred of years passed as humans began to evolve once again, as they started to once more populate the world.

* * *

><p>He'd lost count of the years that he had watched the world change from the sidelines. He didn't care anymore, it didn't matter. What was a thousand years, but the blink of an eye for one who was immortal? What was a million years, but the length of a pleasant nap? He'd stoppped caring so long ago. And yet, as Harry watched on impassivley as the humans began to evolve slowly away from their primitive tendencies, he realized that in all this time he had missed the company of other people the most.<br>He turned away from viewing the primitive tribes and settled instead for leaning against the bricks that made up the arch of the Veil. He had found it ironic in itself that the one thing from the past that had survived with him had been this very same object that had taken away the most important people that he had ever known.  
>Sirius, his godfather, had fallen in an attempt to save his life.<br>Luna, his beloved sister, had been thrown through, bruised and bloody, in an attempt by Voldemort's Death Eater's to make him suffer.  
>Fred and George, his brothers in arms had systematically destroyed the Ministry after it had become Voldemort's stronghold and knowing that they would die anyway, had chosen a death through the Veil over a death at the hands of an enemy.<br>And here the Veil was, still the same as it had been millions of years ago, just the same as him.  
>"So what now, old friend?"<br>His voice was dry and cracked from disuse.  
>"Perhaps I have been here long enough. Perhaps it is time that I pass and leave this world."<br>A large portion of Harry's years and been devoted to ending his existence, to no avail. Drowning, burning, handing, shooting; he'd tried them all and still nothing had happened. 48 years after the fall of Voldemort, Harry had walked into an empty and deserted London knowing that it would be assaulted by a nuclear bomb by the time the day was through. He'd survived, as he always did, as he would continue to do so.  
>One ending he had yet to attempt though, was the Veil. It was a childish fear that he clung to; the fear of something that had taken so much from him. He'd contemplated it more than enough times, but always he'd backed out before he could force himself to take the final step. But now... Now, as the human population rebuilt itself from the ashes of what it had one been, perhaps now it was the best time.<br>With a final glance over his shoulder at the tribes that were all that remained of the glory that was once the human race, Harry Potter took his last step into the Veil and the blackness that lay beyond.

* * *

><p>Harry can honestly say that he was genuinely surprised when, as he finally regained conciousness, he woke to find himself nestled between the bodies (the breathing, pink-tinged and <em>alive<em> bodies) of Luna Lovegood, Fred and George Weasley, and Sirius Black. He wasn't so much surprised that he was alive; to be truthful, he hadn't actually thought that the Veil would kill him. He's hoped it would, but he hadn't been a hundred per cent convinced of it. What he was surprised at, was the fact that instead of just him, there were now four others that in all respects should have been dead; four others that had been alive over millions of yers ago. He couldn't say he was disappointed though, far from it.

* * *

><p>It had been Luna, with all her illogcal logic, that had deduced that as the Master of Death, perhaps it had been Harry's subconcious desire for human contact that had dragged them back from the not-quite-dead, not-quite-alive state that they had been in whilst they were beyond the Veil.<br>It had been Sirius that hadn't cared and was instead happy that he had his godson back and a third chance to make the both of them happy.  
>A few years later and if had been Fred and George that had realized that Harry wasn't the only one that had stopped aging. They had all had.<p>

* * *

><p>Harry had rejected the idea of returning to society. He had his father (though not in the biological sense), his sister and his brothers with him, and he was content with that. They had their squabbles and their differences, but they were a family. So years passed and still Harry refused to rejoin the society that he had turned his back on so long ago.<br>As always, it had been Luna that had convinced the family to enter back into contact with the slowly developing humans. Not as fellow civilians, but as leaders.  
>"I don't know-"<br>"- why we would even _want_ to."  
>Fred and George had been skeptical of the idea.<br>Luna however, dear sweet Luna who still had the unfailing faith of a child, was determined. Years passed and she watched as history repeated itself. She watched as tribes flourished and perished, as conquerors became enslaved and slaves became free men. She watched all this and in the pit of her stomach, she knew that if she had to watch history repeat itself that eventually, the world would only destory itself again and continue to repeat its vicious cycle of life and death. She knew however, that if given tha chance, their family could create a better world.  
>Eventually they all succumbed to the will of Luna, as they always knew they would. They entered back into society not as humans, but as Gods. For what can one call those who are impervious to desease, illness and injury; those that live and breathe and eat but do not age, those who defy the very laws of nature itself. What can you call them, but Gods?<p>

* * *

><p>It was Harry the humans worshipped; primarily for his abilities with the Deathly Hallows, but also for his pale features, his dark hair and solemn ethereal eyes that tore into a persons soul and dragged them screaming through the abyss. He wasn't <em>god-like <em>, he _looked_ the part too, and that was important for the people that worshipped him. And so it came to be that Harry became known as nothing more than Death (for who but Death himself can have such power) and Sirius, Luna, Fred and George became his Weapons, his protection and his guard; his closest.  
>Hundreds of years passed and humans evolved. Tribes became towns, ten people became twenty became a hundred. And soon it came to be that even Luna who had the most impeccable memory, could no longer remember how long they had ruled. The town soon gave way and in its place, what would come to be known as Death City was formed; ironically, right over the (nonexistent) ruins of what had ssonce been known to the group as Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.<br>It came to pass one day though, that Harry who loved his family dearly, announced that it was time for him to take his leave. The world (or most of it anyway), was slowly comind under the rule of Death and as a leader, was it not Harry's duty to see how his people were faring? But leaving was not something that his people were happy with. Why would their God leave them? Were they not devout enough? Were they unworthy of him?  
>It was Luna, in her own ingenious way, that had taklen the Deathly Hallow known as the Invisibilty Cloack, turned it inside out and fashioned from it a raggedy cloak that she draped over Harry to completly shroud his form in black. Instructing Harry who wielded the Elder Wan, Luna had him transfigure the Resurrection Stone into a stark white mask that she placed over his face. And so the image of Death was formed and slowly, the face that was once Harry's became a thing of the past, and the cloak and mask of Death were what the people would look to for protection.<br>At first Harry had been uncomfortable with the idea of wearing clothes that resembled so strongly the Death Eaters that had wrecked havoc so long ago, but he also knew that it was time that the symbol of fear was turned into something more. Something that people could feel protected by. He wondered briefly how Voldemort would feel if he could see that his own follower's masks and cloaks were no longer gaining the reaction of fear and terror, but that of safety. That in itself was enough for Harry to discard his old prejudices and look towards the quickly brightening future.  
>So when one night Harry handed both mask and garment to Sirius, who would take his place as Death until his return, his Hallows allowed it, with the understanding that at some point in the future, Harry would return to claim them. And on the night that Harryy left, he took the Elder Wand in hand and infused it into a mirror, much like Dumbledore had done all those years ago with a blood-red stone; and it was this full-length mirror that he placed in a sacred chamber that would later become known as the Death Room.<p>

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this?"<br>The voice that came from behind the mask was sinister and cold, but Harry could hear the concern even as he stared at his clothed father.  
>"I will be fine, Father. Look."<br>He held up a small hand-sized mirror in one hand.  
>"Watch."<br>Harry breathed heavily on to the glass, forming a layer of most over the reflective surface. Into the mist, using his finger, he proceeded to draw in a seven digit number.  
>"42-42-564, whenever you want to knock on Death's door."<br>The mirror's surface rippled in Harry's hand at the same time that the larger mirror did. Through each mirror, Sirius and Harry could see one another.  
>"It'll be just like old times." Harry said with a small smile, before being bear hugged by an over-enthusiastic Sirius.<br>Carefully, the 17 year old figure pried himself from the embrace and turned to Luna and the twins.  
>"It will work on any mirror, so if you ever want to contact Sirius as well, just do what I did before."<br>"What a smart idea, Harry! I definitely like it, but how do we get in contact with _you_?" Luna exclaimed.  
>"Don't worry about that, I'll be in touch."<br>And so it was that with one last linger hug, Harry turned his back on the Deathly Hallows and walked away from his home.  
>Unknown to him at that time however was that a hundred years later, Luna, Fred and George would choose to follow his example and would leave Sirius alone as the figurehead for their world, whilst they traveled and learned and lived.<p>

* * *

><p>Back-to-back mirror calls quickly filtered down to calls only once a week, which turned into once every other week, which quickly turned into whenever they had a chance, and even then, they quickly dwindled away until finally it had been over a thousand years since the entire family had had contact.<br>The years progresssed and magic quickly turned into something that none of them had ever seen before. Witches were no longer as powerful as they once were. Everyone seemed to have a touch of magic to them and it sung in the air wherever they went. Through all these changes though, the family still had no contact.  
>Maybe they should have gone back when The Heretic Witch Arachne became 'the mother of all demon weapons' and created them for the first time. But by the time Harry had packed and was almost on his way back, he'd heard though the rumour mill that Arachne had been dealt with and that peace once again had descended.<br>Perhaps they should have gone back when Asura, one of the most elite of Death's (Sirius') guard, betrayed him by eating human souls and descending into madness. But Sirius had had the problem dealth with before Harry or even Luna had heard of the whisperings of it, and so it was decided by all four children, on varying continents around the world, that Sirius was fine on his own.  
>And then the news came that Death had formed a school to train weapons and meisters and perhaps it should have been then they returned him, but still theye did not, because they still had so much more to see and Sirius, the father that had looked after them through the thousands of years that they had been together, seemed as though he was doing fine, and for that, they were thankful and could ask for nothing more.<br>But when the rumours of Asura's revival reach Harry in the remotest part of India, and Luna who was traveling through the northern Antarctic with Fred and George, they all knew deep down in the pits of their stomach that it was time to return him. Battle loomed on the horizon and it was time for their family to stand as a united front once more.

* * *

><p>When she'd been thrown head first through the Veil, Luna had just turned 15. Despite her age though, she was still incredibly young in appearance. Most of the time, others mistook her for a child much younger. Regardless of this, she was still a most formidable opponent.<p>

She walked through the busy streets of Death City without anyone noticing her. The flat of the two twin swords strapped against the base of her back gave her comfort, each handle placed at either side of her small body. In her mind, she could hear the voices of her Weapons, Fred and George.  
>As the years had progressed and magic changed, they found that the magic they wielded also changed. When Demon Weapons appeared though, they had found that each of them had a Weapon form. When Luna had finally met back up with Fred and George during their travels, they had decided that it would only be right that those of their family wielded each other. So Luna became the main Meister as her efficiency in wielding twin swords was greater that either Fred or George's prowess in battle.<br>"It's-"  
>"- changed."<br>Luna gave a strained smile and replied thoughtfully,  
>"Of course it has. Nearly two thousand years have passed. Did you think that it wouldn't?"<br>No reply as both she and the twins continue to walk towards Shibusen where they were sure to find SIrius. The walk was pleasant enough and Luna found that the ambient magic in the air seemed to recognize her and welcome her home. There was something familiar about the magic in the air though, something that reminded of her saftey and home and family... She shook her head lightly. She was tired and it began to show in her unease at being around such a bustling city and the tension lines creasing her face.  
>It was as she was just beginning her trek up the stairs that would lead her to the imposing building of Shibusen that something blue and fast tackled straight in to her. With her fast reflexes, she managed to side step the offending party and in her annoyance she'd sent a compacted soul wavelength at him, followed by a quick slice of her hand at his exposed neck. Less than a second later and the blue-haired boy (for that was who the offending party was), passed out on the ground in front of her.<br>"Black Star!"  
>An older girl, 17 maybe even 18. Black hair tied back in a pony tail, wearing an odd looking dress with a long slit up the side of her right lef. Behind her was a pig-tailed blonde girl, a white-haired boy, a black-haired boy that looked familiar, along with two girls dressed similarly that looked to be sisters.<br>"What did you do that for?" Yelled the girl in pig-tails.  
>Luna, who had never had much patiene for those she did not want (or have) to deal with, cast an uncaring eye over the group standing above her on the steps. She flicked a rogue strand of platinum blonde hair over her shoulder, but did not deign to answer. Instead, she continued her trek up the stairs, stepping lightly over the body of the boy she'd knocked out.<br>She didn't make it far though, as the white-haired boy and the two sisters both dematerialized into bright lights of blue and pink respectively and shot towards the pig-tailed girl and the black-haired boy. The older black-haired girl surprised Luna in a show of agility that she hadn't seen in a long time; faster than the blink of an eye, the girl had flashed past Luna, grabbed the comatose blue-haired boy and had retreated behind her friends. In the background, Luna could faintly here her whispering urgently for the boy, Black Star, to wake.  
>"Who are you?"<br>The pig-tailed girl was dressed in what appeared to be a school uniform with a long black trench coat thrown over it. She wielded the large scythe (the white-haired boy, Luna noted) with the ease of someone that was comfortable with her weapon. The other boy, the bleack-haired one that Luna had thought looked familiar, held two semi-automatic pistols in his hands. The two sister, obviously.  
>"Weapons-"<br>"- and their mesiters."  
>"They're probably-"<br>"- students of this-"  
>"- esteemed place of-"<br>"- education."  
>Luna bit back a grin and settled for turning a blank eye towards the two mesiters. Fred and George were probably right of course.<br>"Tsubaki!" Barked out the pig-tailed girl sternly.  
>"Yes, Maka?" The older black-haired girl replied from her place beside the unconcious Black Star.<br>"Go get either Sid or Professor Stein. No battles are to be fought on school grounds unless overseen by a supervisor."  
>Tsubaki nodded and gently placed Black Star's head on the ground before swiftly running inside.<br>"What odd rules Sirius seems to have employed."  
>In he back of her mind, Luna could hear her Weapons agree with her.<br>"My quarrel is not with you. Stand down and retreat, lest my weapons render your head from your shoulders."  
>Maka's eyebrows creased in thoughfulness as she replayed the formal words used.<br>Before she could reply though, Stein and most of the Crescent Moon Class, along with Chrona, had made their appearance; preceeded by Tsubaki who ran to Black Star's side.  
>"Who are you and why are you here?"<br>Stein decided to stand down and let the children deal with this young girl who had appeared to have knocked out Black Star. He tilted his glasses his hand slightly and with the other, he turned the screw running through his head a little tighter.  
>She was incredibly young in appearance, 10 or 11 if he had to hazard a guess. Pale blonde hair, fair skin, bright blue eyes and a cold demeanor. She was short )he'd be surprised if she was taller than Black Star), slim, and through the curtain of hair that hell to her waist, Stein could faintly make out the outline of two sword hilts on either side of her waist.<br>Luna turned to the black-haired boy dressed in a suit that had addressed her.  
>"You have no place to ask for my name. Nor is it your place to question my presence here."<br>In her mind she could hear Fred and George hum in anticipation for the upcoming fight. It had been such a long time since the had met a formidable opponent and it would be interesting to see how Sirius had trained these they stronger or weaker than the soldiers that Luna herself had long ago trained?  
>"Why did you hurt Black Star?"<br>The pig-tailed girl, Maka, again.  
>This game was fast losing it's entertaining appeal. Luna was slowly getting annoyed with the constant questions. In another time and place, these children would have already attacked and forced the truth from her mouth before her body had even touched the ground. Why was it that they were so... <em>Trusting<em>? Had Sirius really trained these children to be as carefree and naive as they were now?  
>Long ago, they (or Luna, really) had only ever allowed the most fiercest and most capable of warriors to wield a weapon. It did not matter their age, only that they were warriors, and these children playing pretend were a far cry from the carriors that Luna had personally trained herself in the past.<br>"Pathetic child; either attack and force the answer from me, or step aside. There are issues that those of greater importance than you, must discuss."  
>Her tone was cold and her words derogatory. It was the way that they had had to be when first ruling over a town and then extending their rule over to neighbouring towns before the world became their empire. A gentle leader was thought of as too kindly, too <em>soft<em>, too open for an attack (and there had been many attacks). The way to keep the masses happy was through hard actions, harsh words and gentle smiles. To each other, as a family, they were different; but these were civilians, followers.  
>Maka and the other boy seemed disturbed by the words but Luna, ever calm, stared stone-faced at them. It was the other boy that spoke next,<br>"We'll give you one last chance. Either tell us who you are and what you want or we will not be held responsible for the damage that happens to you."  
>Luna noted that the girl, Maka, tightened her gloved hand over her scythe.<br>"Leave it, Kit. I don't think she's gonna listen."  
>Ahh, so the other boy's name was Kid.<br>"What an-"  
>"- odd name to-"<br>"- christen a-"  
>"- child."<br>Again Fred and George whispered their opinions into her mind.  
>Luna though, was becoming quickly bored with this idle chatter.<br>"What insolent brats to think that you could land even a single damaging blow to my body."  
>When she laughed it was freezing and mocking. The kind of laugh that she'd developed during the war way back when.<br>This didn't seem to be the right thing to say. Moments later, the scythe meister had swung at her and quicker than the eye could see, Luna sidestepped the swing, ducked beneath the scythe, right in front of Maka and with a small pressure from Luna's fingers over Maka's neck, the girl was down for the count. The scythe that dropped beside her materialzed back into the whiet-haired boy, only this time, his left arm had formed the blade of the scythe. When he swung at her it was wild and reckless and angry. It took only a second before Luna executed the exact same move that she'd pulled on Maka and as she stood in front of the shocked white-haired boy, she gently flicked her index finger against his forehead. Through the contact, she sent particles of her soul and the strings that were made from her soul that were invisible to the human eye, bound themselves around the boy's entire body and invisibly formed strings that were now connected to Luna. Strings that Luna would, and could, use to control this person.  
>"What the - ?" Kid yelled in panic as he ducked a wicked blow from the scythe.<br>"Soul, you fool! What are youn doing?"  
>"I don't know! I think- I Think she's controlling me!"<br>It only takes seconds before Soul, Kid and the two sisters are scattered on the ground like broken ragdolls.  
>It was as an odd looking man dressed in a lab coat approached her that Luna finally decided to end the game. Stepping faster than lightning, she placed herself directly behind the man. Before he could comprehend where she had gone, she placed a gentle pressure against his neck and like all the others, he slumped to the ground in a dead faint.<br>In the quiet wake of this, Luna made her way into the building of Shibusen and disappeared into its depths.  
>Originally this had been the castle that had housed the family. It looked as though Sirius had turned this into the school though; so she made her way through the hallways looking for the room that she knew Sirius would be in, the room where Harry had first place the original Mirror.<p>

* * *

><p>It was a few minutes after Stein's collapse that Ox, Harvar, Kim, Jacqueline and Kilin managed to rouse the passed out mesiters and their weapons.<br>When they all awaoke though, it was to something utterly horrifying. There was an unknown trespasser walking the halls of Shibusen.  
>Death had to be informed.<p>

* * *

><p>Death was enoying a nice hot cup of tea when he was interrupted by the loud crashing of feet. When they finally passed the last guillotine that led to the Death Room, they were all talking at once. So much so that Death found that he couldn't understand a thing that any of them were shouting. He raised an over-large gloved hand and waited as they all quieted down.<br>"Now... Wassap!"  
>Insert simultaneous sweat drops.<br>"We have an emergency, Lord Death. There is an unknown dangerous intruder on Shibusen grounds."  
>"Oh, really?" Death asked, tilting his head to the side as though wondering if it would make more sense from a different angle.<br>"Yes. Entirely dangerous. She defeated me quite... Quickly." Maka's fisted hand and pursed lips are the only indication of how incensed she is.  
>"Amazing! And where is this intruder?"<br>"That what we're trying to say, sir. We don't know where she went. Only that she entered the building and never exited. We have the other students guarding the exits so we're positive that she hasn't escaped yet."  
>"Oh, really? How smart of you, Maka."<br>She blushed slightly at the praise, but then went straight back to business.  
>"Lord Death... What should our course of action be?"<br>"Action?" Death questioned in his high-pitched voice.  
>"Yes. Action." Maka confirmed, nodding.<br>"Well... Nothing."  
>Silence descended as Black Star cleared out his ear with a finger.<br>"You knowm, for a second there, I thought you said-"  
>"Nothing. I want you to do nothing."<br>Everyone in the room froze at this.  
>"But Lord Deat we-"<br>"This is for the best, Maka. Stand down and do nothing she is sighted."  
>"Lord Death, really this is-"<br>"I'm quite serious, Stein. Stand down. Do nothing."  
>"... But... Why?"<br>It was Tsubaki's pained voice that drew their attention.  
>Death cleared his throat thoughtfully and looked at Tsubaki and said, as if quite obviously,<br>"Because I don't want any of you to die."  
>"Lord Death, I really must insist that none of us are-"<br>Stein never got to finish his sentence. Instead, all they could hear was the same cold, mocking laughter they had heard earlier when each of them had been soundly defeated.  
>They looked up quickly to see that the young girl from before was sitting atop the last red guillotine. Her legs swinging idly beneath her, blonde hair fluttering around her in the nonexistent wind.<br>"Soul!" Called Maka.  
>"Liz, Patty!" Said Kid, shifting into his defensive stance.<br>"Tsubaki!" Growled Black Star.  
>In an instant, all three children had their weapons poised and aimed at the younger girl above them.<br>Behind them, Death sighed and it was to their complete shock when we walked (glided more like it) right past them and stood beneath the girl, staring up at her.  
>"Did you really have to hurt my students?"<br>She stared down at him blank faced.  
>"Those brats, that have no right to call themselves your students, deserved it. Not so long ago you would have personally killed anyone who was as worthless at fighting as those... Children playing pretend."<br>"Now see here you little brat! I am Black Star! The one who will surpass God, and I say screw you! I'll take you down right here, right now! Tsubaki! Enchanted Sword!"  
>"Right." Tsubaki's stern respone in her Weapon form.<br>"Stop!"  
>Everyone froze and turned to Death.<br>"Now as I said before, _no more fighting_; and I quite mean it too!"  
>Death turned away from Stein and his students and extended an over-large white gloved hand towards the tiny girl above the guillotine.<br>"Why don't you come down so we can have a proper conversation? I have hot tea, just the way you like it."  
>There was a long pause as Soul, Tsubaki, Liz and Patti materialized.<br>Luna's mouth twitched into a small smile before taking the offered hand and jumping down to land lightly on the ground.  
>"What in the world are you wearing?"<br>The others heard her say as the two retreated to the white platform in the middle of the room and they arranged themselves on the floor.  
>Death looked back at the stumped students and teacher and waved them over.<br>"Come on, now! Don't be shy! She doesn't bite... Well, hard anyway." Death laughed at his own joke and watched in merriment as his students and Stein arranged themselves around the table, choosing to sit as far away from Luna, who was seated at Death's right hand, as possible.  
>"Lord Death-" Soul began to mutter. Unfortunately he never got to finish his sentence.<br>"No, really... Why are you wearing that ridiculous mask? And those gloves... Quite impracticaly, don't you think? What happened to..."  
>Luna was damned sure that the mask Sirius was wearing was definitely not the same one that she had instructed Harry to fashion so long ago. The mask was like a mocvkery of the one that she'd helped create, a childish mockery, if anything. And the gloves? Now those were just plain ridiculous.<br>"No, I don't think they are impractical." Death replied to the smallest girl at the table.\  
>He reached over and poured her a cup of steaming tea before tossing in four sugar cubes and a thinly sliced lemon. He turned back to his students as they watched him in a stupor.<br>"Well, help yourselves! No need to be shy."  
>"Mmm..." Luna gave a small moan of pleasure as the hot fluid coursed through her. It was delicious, and was most certainly a sign that she was home once again.<br>There was a glowing light from behind her (from the two swords at her back, Stein noticed) and moments later, in a flash of bright red, two identical boys sat on either side of Luna.  
>Their hair was parted on opposite sides, their stances were perfect mirror images of each other and when Luna poured two cups of tea and slid them in front of each boy, they grabbed the handles with opposite hands and through it all, it looked like a mirrored image come to life.<br>"Symmetr-" Kid never got to finish his sentence. Instead, he'd settled for fainting in absolute bliss.

* * *

><p>"It's good to be home." He said to himself as he treked through the city. His feet taking almost the exact same path that, just hours before, his own sister had tread.<br>In the back of his mind, the magic of the earth, of the world that surrounded him, sung in his mindscape and swirled in a glorious rain of brightly coloured lights.  
>Of all the abilities that Harry possessed, wielding or even being a demon weapon was not one of them. It was a disappointment, but it was something that he'd gotten over very quickly and had adapted to. In his travels, he'd forced himself to excel so that even if he was faced with someone wielding a demon weapon, the odds would not be stacked against him, and he's succeeded. Harry was probably the most capable person in the world at manipulating his soul. There were things that Harry could do with his soul that hadn't been seen for over a thousand years, abilities that he'd mastered that had never been of before by civilisation. He had power ina different sense and that was good enough for him.<br>He walked through the city slowly and every now and again swiped a cool drink or a piece of fruit from the stalls and passer-bys that he walked past. He was using an ability that he'd stolen from some witches a few hundred years back. The witches had managed to create a barrier called Soul Protect that hid a witches soul from anyone with the ability to see souls. Harry however, had perfected the art. What he did was amplify the power of hiding the soul and then wrap that barrier over his skin. What resulted was not just the invisiblity of his soul from others, but also his physical body. Ever since he'd managed to create the ability, he'd missed his Invisibility Cloak less and less.  
>It was as he was gulping down a cool drink that he'd swiped a few blocks back that he came upon one of the entrances of Shibusen guarded by an androgynous figure with pink hair. There was something odd about the child. Magic whispered misgivings in his ear and begged for the death of the child.<br>"Creature-"  
>"- evil-"<br>"- kill i-"  
>Harry shushed the whispers and asked them to reoconsider. Told them to watch and listen and wait.<br>After mastering the Deathly Hallows, Harry had to admit that there was one ability, a partial ability, that he had gained that he was quite unsure of. Was it a cure or a blessing? He'd never really known. The only thing he did know was that one morning he'd woken up and he'd been able to... Well, hear magic. In the water that flowed through the depths of the Earth, to the roots of a tree, to each of the tips of its highest leaves. There was magic in the air and the sea and everything in the world. There was magic everywhere and Harry wasn't sure if it was good or bad fortune that he could hear it.  
>It was times like these that he figured it was bad fortune. Magic was an impartial judge to the mortal world. She sat back and thought things out ligcally, without feeling, without mercy, without the concept of human compassion of empathy, and because of this, she was a cold and hard mistress.<br>"Hello there."  
>The pink-haired... Boy? Turned around quickly and Harry could finally see what was wrong with him.<br>There was a tainted substance coursing through his veins. A substance that also seemed to hold within it, his weapon. Harry could see that the boy's (he figured he;s stick with 'boy' for now, unless proven otherwise) soul looked as though it was contained within his weapon's soul.  
>Harry gave a small smile before the oddest thing occurred.<br>From his back, a large black growth formed until finally, Harry could make out eyes (sort of) and hands. The growth, in a vicious manner, grabbed the boy's hair and tugged quite fiercly,  
>"Chrona, you idiot! What are you doing? You-"<br>"Hey! Ragnarok, stop that! I-"  
>Harry could see that the boy had an unsure soul, the kind of soul that arose from someone with not enough confidence in himself. It reminded him somewhat of Neville who had spent six years doubting himself until fianlly finding the courage that enabled him to stand on his own two feet and face the world with a deadly grin and the glint of wild danger in his eyes. But before that could have happened, Neville had needed friends that had pushed him and believed in him and helped him to become the great person that they had known he would grow to be. Perhaps this child was lacking in friends. No matter, in an instant Harry had decided then and there that the would be the boys' friend.<br>"Argh!"  
>Chrona's hands that had been covering his tearing eyes fell to his side in wonder as the young man that had surprised him earlier, proceeded to back-hand Ragnarok.<br>Once, twice, thrice-  
>"Stop that! HEY! Who do you think you are you little-"<br>Slap!  
>Chrona winced at the contact and flinched at the sound.<br>When the creature, the boys weapon he supposed (Ragnarok?) finally fell quiet, Harry finally spoke.  
>"You don't like it when someone beats you up, do you?"<br>"OF COURSE NOT YOU-" Yelled Ragnarok, but he never got to finish.  
>"Then don't do it to others."<br>SLAP.  
>Ragnarok fell silent.<br>"Honestly, weapons these days, thinkings they can just walk over anyone, the nerve of him."  
>Wide-eyed, Chrona watched in amazement as the young man took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the tears that littered his face.<br>He was amazingly good looking, in an unearhtly way that made Chrona feel as though he was unworthy of even being in this persons presence.  
>"The name's Harlan. You would be?"<br>A millenia ago, Harry had discarded the name 'Harry Potter' in the back roads of Czechoslovakia whilst on a brief tour of the world. Harry Potter had been a brand, a figurehead, a person that wasn't quite a person, a larger than life hero; and in the years following Voldemort's defeat, it had became a name renowned as much as Merlin. 'Harlan' though, Harlan was everything that Harry sought after the end of the war. Harlan was normal, average, the same as everyone else. It had been a long time since anyone had ever referred to him as 'Harry Potter', instead it was Harlan Black. It was only his family that slipped every now and again and called him Harry. But that okay, it was a tie to his past that he didn't mind keeping.  
>"Ch-Chrona, sir."<br>When he laughed it was so soft and light that it reminded Chrona of twinkling bells, the thought made him blush.  
>"Don't bother with the 'sir', Chrona. I'm not important enough for titles. Harlan's fine. Hey, are you okay?"<br>Harlan looked at the pink-tinged face and remembered vaguely that Neville had had a bad habit of becoming flustered when anyone was talking to him. Oh well, at the boy wasn't stuttering too badly.  
>He pulled another swiped drink from his pocket and offered the aluminium can to Chrona, who blushed even harder and went to refuse, but Harlan stoppped him by forcing the can into his hands and saying,<br>"You look a bit heated. This'll cool you down."  
>In the silence that followed, Chrona had no choice but to accept the drtink with a small shy 'Thank you', open it and start drinking.<br>They drank in silence, and in that time Chrona didn't even stop to wonder as to why Ragnarok had retreated into his back. It was a comfortable silence though, the kind of silence that Chrona had only ever felt when he sat next to Maka.  
>"Hey Chrona, can you help me with something?"<br>Chrona's head whipped up quickly at the sound,  
>"H-Help?"<br>"Yeah, help. You know, it's what friends do for each other. Help each other out."  
>Chrona had stopped thinking at the word 'friend', but luckily his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.<br>"H-How?"  
>"I'm a bit lost. I have an appointment with Lord Death, but I sort of got lost." At this, Harlan laughed.<br>A lie, but something he could live with.  
>"Do you think that you could show me the way to the Death Room?"<br>"I-I... I guess I could."  
>"Thanks Chrona! You're a pal."<br>And with that, Harlan swung an arm over Chrona's shoulders and promptly steered them down the hallway that Chrona had to walk down. All the while, his mouth talked a mile a minute and Chrona, not known why he was so comfortable in this presence, let himself relax into the embrace and revel in the stories that were being told by this amazing person that ahd befriended him so quickly.

* * *

><p>Tea was... Uncomfortable to say the least. Kid had finally woken up and had spent the enture time since, staring at the identical twins on either side of the small blonde. In fact, he hadn't moved a muscle. Just sat... and stared... and sat... and stared. It must have been getting on one of the twins' nerves because a twitch had developed in his left eyebrow... That was then copied and imitated by his opposite. Kid just swooned.<br>"Now! Introductions should be in order. How about everyone introduce yourself and we'll go from there?"  
>The goofy mask and the idiotic smile that Luna knew Sirius was probably wearing beneath the mask was enough to make the girl want to slam the suckers face into the closest solid object.<br>"Black Star? Why don't you start?"  
>The blue-haired boy let out a wide grin.<br>"My name is BLACK STAR and one day, I am going to SURPASS GOD!"  
>He posed at the end of his declaration, one foot leaning against the table that held all their drinks, one arm outstretched, finger pointing to the sky. Fred manifested a small portion of his soul and used it to whack the lefs of the table, forcing it to jump fowards a few inches. In the process, Black Star managed to execute a perfect face-plant into the ground. Fred and George tittered from their places next to Luna, who simply rolled her eyes and ignored the twins' antics. Before Black Star could make a scene out of it, his weapon cleared her throat and spoke softly,<br>"My name is Tsubaki."  
>There was something about her, something different. It was Luna, looking into the young woman's soul that found it and, using the telepathic link she shared with her two weapons, passed the information to the twins.<br>"Ninja-class weapon. Shape-shifting ability in weapon form. A dangerous person to cross."  
>"Professor Franken Stein." Offered the odd-looking man with the screw running through his head.<br>Before Liz could introduce herself from beside the professor, the small blonde and the twins beside her burst into peals of laughter.  
>"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"<br>The twins of course, were the loudest.  
>Luna giggled into her cup of tea, her cheeks flushing a light pink. Sweet Merlin above, had his parents been psychotic when they'd named him?<br>The laughter soon died down however, only to be replaced by the animated banter of the twins.  
>"Well, well, well. If it isn't the-"<br>"- modern doctor himself. Or is it-"  
>" the Modern Prometheus*"<br>Stein wasn't sure if he was being mocked or not, but there _was_ something teasing in the way the twins went on with their running commentary. Unfortunately, he had no idea what they were talking about.  
>It was Luna though that spoke up next, breaking Stein from his thoughts. Her voice soft, lilting and as always, mocking.<br>"How I, then a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?"  
>Again the twins tittered into their hands. They both looked down at the small girl between them and smiled,<br>"Now, now 'Mary'-"  
>"- no need to be so-"<br>"- maudlin. 'Prometheus' indeed-"  
>"- after all, there are wretched-"<br>"- effects of allowing ambition to-"  
>"- push one to aim beyond-"<br>"- what one is-"  
>"- capable of achieving."<br>Maka, Soul, Kid, Liz and Patty were just as clueless as the rest of the room. Save for Lord Death who just sweat dropped at the immaturity of his charges, Really, you'd think that after eons of ruling, they would had grown up at some point. Still though, he reflected as he looked around the table, it was nice to have his family back after so long. Despite the happiness though, a small sadness tugged at Death's heart. One person was missing, one son that had yet to return home.  
>It was Luna's voice that broke through the masked mans reverie.<br>"I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation, but-"  
>"- now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart."<br>Heads shot up as the smooth voice drifted through the room.  
>He was beautiful. The girls tinged pink at his presence and even the boys sat to attention and paid attention, though they were better at pretending that they <em>weren't<em>.  
>Black hair hung loosely around his face, the tips of his hair gently playing across his shoulders. Lightly tanned skin, dazzling emerald eyes and a small confidant smile. He was average in height, an <em>unassuming<em> height some would call it, but there was something about his presence that made you forget just how tall he was exactly.  
>Beneath the facade of Death, Sirius' heart skipped a beat. His family was complete.<br>"Now, now, children. Didn't Father ever tell you that it's rude to make references that other people don't understand?"  
>"What the hell? Who's this guy?"<br>Black Star, of course, was sick and tired of these random peope showing up all over the place thinking that they owned the goddamned earth they walked on.  
>It was Maka that realized first that the newcomer had an arm wrapped snugly around Chrona.<br>"Oh, you brought a friend! Hello Chrona, join us?"  
>"I-I... I don't want to intrude Lord-"<br>"Harlan, darling!"  
>"What a cutie!"<br>Harlan didn't even have a chance before Chrona had disappeared and had been settled between the twins. Luna didn't seem surprised that they the twins had swapped her for the pink-haired brat. The twins, like Harlan, did like their play toys.  
>"Play nicely." Harlan warned the twins as he settled between George and Luna.<br>Chrona had seemed a bit skittish when they'd entered the room. It was the least he could do to stick close to the boy and make sure that the was okay. As he poured himself a cup, he poured an extrea one for Chrona and when he slid the mug over to him, he winked and smiled broadly, earning a blush that caused Harlan's smile to broaden even further, and the twins to grin widely.  
>Again the Class Crescent Moon meisters and weapons were quiet in the wake of this new addition.<br>"You're late."  
>The short reply from the small blonde next to the newcomer.<br>"Forgive me, beloved. The world just kept getting in the way."  
>"We were going through introductions before you interrupted."<br>"Oh? Is that so? Well, don't mind me. Continue."  
>And they did. Maka was the serious blonde, Soul her weapon. Liz and Patty were next and finally, Kid.<br>Harlan paused momentarily after Kid and pointed at the two sisters then at their meister and finally to the blonde-haired girl in the school uniform.  
>"Sweet Merlin, you replaced us!"<br>He pointed an accusatory finger at Death, followed by a heated glare.  
>"What do you mean-"<br>"- replaced? How could-"  
>The twins paused.<br>They looked at the black-haired emo (Kid, though Fred idly) and could imagine that he'd been Harlan's replacement. That meant the the blonde had to be Luna's replacement. That left their replacement as... The sisters? What the fuc-  
>"Honestly, Harlan. You're over-reacting."<br>"Over-reacting about what? You _replaced_ us. I'm pretty sure that at this point, we're allowed to act irrationally."  
>Luna, sage-like, nodded in accordance.<br>"Agreed. Especially when our replacements seem to be lacking in _all_ areas of expertise."  
>"Oh, really?" Harlan was intrigued by this new tid-bit of information.<br>"Yup. Lot of them couldn't put up a fight for longer than five minutes. Pathetic really. Years back and I would have..."  
>Luna trailed off as she started muttering under her breath.<br>Green eyes crinkled at the corners in confusion,  
>"How odd."<br>"Indeed." Was Luna's response. They went quiet momentarily and Maka chose that moment to allow her seething anger to surface.  
>"Who do you think you are coming here and judging us?"<br>Her voice was low and dangerous, her face downcast, bangs shading her eyes from these interlopers. It was obvious to Luna though that beneath the table the meister had her hands clenched tightly in her lap.  
>"You don't know anything about us. You don't know the hardships and the battles that we've gone through, or the lengths that we've gone to to improve. Who the hell do you think you are?"<br>Her head snapped up and locked eyes with Luna; dull-green eyes narrowed and intense in their dury. The only response to Maka however, was Luna's predatory grin that spread overthe young girl's face. Death sweat-dropped in the background and waved his arms around in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Really, the first time his chikdren and his students meet and this was what happens?  
>"Now, now! We're all friends here, why don't we-"<br>"I'd have to agree with Maka on this one, Father." Kid raised his voice to drown out his father's placations.  
>"These people have no right to waltz in here and proceed to bad-mouth the very school that you have worked hard for."<br>"Yeah!" Nodded Black Star.  
>Before Death can even reply, the room is filled with the hearty laughter from his eldest son. Harlan laughs long and loud, a deep warm laughter that circles through the room. When he stops, he wipes imaginary tears from his eye and smiles brightly at Death.<br>"How times have changed."  
>Kid, feeling quite indignant that he'd been ignored so thoroughly, couldn't stand for this.<br>"Look, who the hell are you guys anyway? His eyebrow twitched in anger and he fought to find his resolve. Liz placed a calming hand on his arm and drew him back slightly in an attempt to calm him down.  
>The four newcomers shared small smiles before back to the Class Crescent Moon meisters and weapons. Death was tempted to let them resolve the issures themselves,m but he knew if he left it to them, someone would wind up dead and he was pretty sure it was going to be one of his students. When Luna bowed slightly to the group, and rose againm, back straight and face black, it was Death that introduced her.<br>"The Duchess, Luna."  
>Fred and George straightened from where they'd been ignoring the arguments in favor of making Chrona blush. They both inclined their heads as a way of greeting and turned back to the cutely blushing pink-haired youth. They knew that Death would introduce them to the watching group.<br>"The Dukes: Fred and George."  
>When they finally turned tow the black-haired man that had entered with Chrona, Death smiled.<br>"And of course, Harlan... My first heir and eldest... My son."

When Kid heard the words, his whole body froze. What did his father mean the 'first heir'? His son? His entire life he'd grown up believing that he was the only heir to his father's position. His whole life he'd been led to believe that he was an only child and here his father had just told him that no, he wasn't the only heir and no, he wasn't the only son either. How was it that his father could have kept such a secret from him for so long? His mother had died giving birth to him, so for his entire life Kid had only ever had his father. At one poine he'd wanted more family members, a sister or brother so that he wasn't so lonely, but he'd always thought that as long as he had father, he would be okay. But now... But now his father was telling him that he'd never really been alone, that out in the world, his _older_ brother had been wandering around.  
>He felt Patty clutch at his hand and he flashed her a small smile in thanks.<br>When he fixed his father with a tight stare, Kid's mouth went dry and it was a cracked voice that issued forth,  
>"Wh-What?"<br>Death knew that at some point earlier he should have told Kid about Harland and Luna and Fred and Geroge, but really, he'd just never really had the time. And then when he _did_ have the time, it would always slip his mind.  
>"This is Harlan, your brother."<br>Even to Kid, the similarities between himself and the older youth was enought to make him rub his eyes in wonder. The same black hair, the same high cheek bones and sculpted face. The similarities were there, but so were the differences. His eyes were green to his yellow, his face more angular than his own. Was this really his older brother?

* * *

><p>Harlan was hard-pressed not to comment on the warring emotions that flowed so easily over the boy's face. He knew that maybe it would have been better to explain that technically he was more the <em>adopted<em> son, but he'd spent so long away from home that a selfish part of him rejoiced in the words that Sirius had uttered.  
><em>Son<em>... Faintly he can remember that a long time ago, he'd only ever dreamed os someone willingly laying claim to him.  
>Physically he shakes his head to rid himself of the past memories that, despite the countless years, still attempted to haunt him fiercly.<br>When Death turns to him again, he rolls his eyes at the words,  
>"Which reminds me, why are you all back?"<br>When Luna flicks her hair over her shoulder in annoyance and fixes a hard stare at Lord Death, he knows that he's either said or done something that has pissed her off.  
>"We heard that you might need some help."<br>"You know-" and of course Fred and George just had to throw in their two cents.  
>"- after you-"<br>"- screwed up and-"  
>"- all with that-"<br>"- Asura person-"  
>"- thing-"<br>"- demon-"  
>"- not quite-"<br>"- person."  
>Behind the mask Sirius laughed silently at their serious (no pun intended) faces,<br>"Now really, that's not necess-"  
>"Of course it isn't necessary." Luna's voice has once again sunk back into her past persona. It is cold and hard and Sirius has to smile a bit at the return of his youngest and most volatile of children. After everything they had been through, Luna's mood swings were more of an endearing trait rather than a cause for concern or annoyance.<br>Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his students. Kid, in shock, was attempting to bypass his brain shortage by focusing on the conversation, a conversation that he was not happy about. Who was this girl to question his father? Maka sat seething next to Soul, a glare on her face the entire time. Stein, more curious than mad, settled for leaning back and watching as everything unfolded. Tsubaki and Black Star were quiet, but they were watchful and eagle-eyed.  
>"None of this would be necessary if your so called 'students' had suceeded against the witch Medusa and her accomplices. Admit it, old man, you've gone slack. They're not warriors or even fighters, merely children playing pretend."<br>He sighs at the cold words and interrupts before Maka, Kid, Soul or Black Star can interject. He can see by their faces that they are more hurt by these words then they let on.  
>"I admit that training is not what it used to be..."<br>The looks of betrayal from his students make him sigh even more,  
>"But you must understand Luna, these are different times. The world is not as cold, or as harsh, or as dangerous as it once was. Not forgetting, of course, that my students have not had to access to the type of training that was afforded to any of you. We have adapted."<br>"Not adapted, _slacked_."  
>He can tell though, by the tugging at her lips that she understands, that she <em>gets<em> why he hadn't spent his time ruthlessly training an army. Behind the mask he smiles, she understood and really, that was all that mattered.  
>To the side Harlan swirls his tea in his cup, listening to the conversation with only half an ear. In the past Luna had always been The Duchess: a one woman force that ruled the army and fighters of the city with an iron hand. He can understand why she would be upset. Way back when, she herself had personally trained all of the warriors. To see children wielding weapons, when they barely knew how to handle themselves, it was obvious to the family that it hurt Luna more than she'd like to admit.<br>"Hold on a minute!"  
>When the table turns to stare at Black Star, they find him rubbing his head as if in pain, his brows creased in confusion.<br>"Who exactly _are_ you?" He demands.  
>When Lord Death tried to answer, half-way through he is cut off.<br>"No, those are just their _names_. Who _are_ they? I mean, how come we've never seen them before? They show up out of nowhere and all of a sudden we find out that Kid has an older brother?"  
>Distrust surfaces to Black Star's face and by the tentative looks on his students, Death can only conclude that this is a question that they would all like asnwered, but none had had the courage to speak. He can only thanks the Heavens that Spirit or Sid were here. They would have demanded the answers much earlier and in a more physical kind of way.<br>He opens his mouth to answer, but instead thinks better of it. He nods to his children to explain. He's never really been good at this type of thing, better that he now attempt and foul up.  
>When Luna speaks, her head is turned away from them staring at the Death Mirror that lays situated in the middle of the room. It is as if she can see the past just by staring into its reflective surface.<br>"My name and title, as you know, is The Duchess Luna. Third in line to ascend, former Head of Military Command."  
>"What does that mean? 'Third in line to ascend'?" Surprisingly it is Stein that asks this question. The new voice breaks Luna from her reverie and she stares long and hard this off looking man that has spoken up for the first time since he had introduced himself.<br>"I'm the third in line to inheret the mantle of Lord Death."  
>"Wh-"<br>"What?"  
>"Huh?"<br>The shock on their faces is obvious, but Luna disregards it and settles for nodding at the twins to continue the thread of conversation.  
>On either side of Chrona, the twins nod lightly and decide that for the time beign, they may as well try and speak civilly.<br>"The Duke Fred, fourth in line to ascend, former Head of Security."  
>"The Duke George, fifth in line to ascend, former Head of Education."<br>Kid's older brother, is the last to introduce himself to the group.  
>"My name is Harlan, no title as of yet. I was previously Lord Death."<p>

* * *

><p>"You know, I could have sworn he just said..." Soul trails off into mumbles as he stares at this newcomer, this <em>Harlan<em>, who smiles arrogantly back at them. Man, he'd really like to wipe that infuriating grin from his face.  
>"He did." Lord Death nods.<br>"B-But Lord Death! How can that be?"  
>"Father!"<br>Kid and Maka are equally flabbergasted and it is obvious that so is everyone else.  
>When the explanation comes, it is Luna that speaks. Harlan rarely spoke directly to their citizens. Fred and George would most likely only make things more confusing. Sirius looked as though he was already in a lot of trouble from his students and his son, best she take the reigns for now.<br>"Originally, Harlan held the mantle of Lord Death." She says this concisely as she nods in the direction of the lazily reclining black-haired, green-eyed youth.  
>"A leader however, can only do so much when he knows nothing of his people." Here Harlan continues the story, nodding to his sister. He would prefer this story come from him. He had, after all, been the initial reason why Sirius was even Lord Death.<br>"I decided, somewhat selfishly I admit, that if I wanted to be the kind of ruler that my people needed, then I needed to know as much about the world as possible. What good was a Lord that knew nothing beyond his castle gates? I left and Father was kind enough to take my mantle in my absence."  
>At the questioning look from Stein, Fred continues where Harlan had left off.<br>"The reason there is a line of succession is to ensure the safety of our citizens."  
>"A line of succession was established so that, if ever was the case that a Lord was to fall, there would always be someone to ascend and take the place of Lord Death."<br>George nods at the end of his spiel, as if the information will enforce the lie. They were immortal, so they would never fall and they all knew that once Harlan ascended to the title again, it was not likely that he would step down from the position for a couple more thousand years. The line of succession was, in all actuality, a back up plan in the case that any of the family members were to leave for long periods of time. In this way, there would always be a Lord Death to protect the city and its people.

* * *

><p>"If you're all done. Shall we get down to business, Father?"<br>Luna barely manages a sparing glance at Kid to explain briefly,  
>"Harlan, Fred, George and I grew up as a family. Believe me, he is just as much a father to me as he has been to you; even if there lies no blood relation."<br>Kid can't even nod in reply to show her that he understood. Not only did he have an older brother, but apparently the three other people that had appeared seemingly from nowhere named Lord Death 'father' also. He clutches at Patty's hand like he would a life line. Life feels as though it is slipping further and further away from him.  
>"What is your battle plan?"<br>This is Luna's element. Military operations had been her baby and war had been her playground. They were all more than adept at fighting, but it was Luna that craved the fight and was most likely to succumb to the bloodlust.  
>"We have a plan that is currently in the works-"<br>"Eibon's weapons?"  
>Death's head snaps to George who is fingering his tea cup idly. Kid's eyes narrow at the reference. Harlan, Fred and Luna turn in interest at their brother. They know what he refers to, of course; each had their own methods of keeping tabs on their father, it really wasn't a surprise.<br>"That plan will only take us so far, your will is..." George trails off and looks at Death meaningfully.  
>"You don't approve of the plan?"<br>"I believe that it will only take us so far."  
>"I am aware of that. I intend to-"<br>Here Luna interrupts. Though she doesn't know what her father intends to do with Eibon's weapons, she does have a hunch as to what he plans to do to Asura. A confrontation between the two of them is of course, the Sirius way of dealing with problematic matters.  
>"I would advise no spectators then. I can only assume that you mean to use the Death Room."<br>Death nods at these words.  
>"Then it would be best if you were alone."<br>Stein and his students feel out of place in this conversation. They speak as though everyone knows about the plan, but they don't.  
>"And your back-up?"<br>"You don't have faith in-"  
>"It's not that we don't have faith in your abilities, Father. Going into battle without a fall-back plan is just tempting the fates and asking for trouble."<br>"Maka has inherited a unique ability from her mother."  
>"Ah yes, the Demon Hunter."<br>Luna turns now to scrutinize the scythe meister. When she turns back to Death, she raises an eyebrow in question,  
>"And you think she will be able to-"<br>"I will!"  
>Maka is incensed that a stranger, regardless of who she is, would cast such doubt on her capability.<br>"Oh really..." Harlan's mocking laugh is vicious. Soul takes affront to this and wishes he could lean over and smash the idiots face against the table.  
>"She can! Maka is-"<br>"Tell me, Maka Albarn... What exactly is your attack? This Demon Hunter that is supposedly meant to be our saving grave?"  
>"The Demon Hunter eliminates everything evil and purges impurities."<br>Stein's answer is clinical. He doesn't see anything wrong with this plan. Maka's Demon Hunter is a trump card that can't be beat.  
>"And none of you see any problem with this?"<br>Black Star snorts and replies back sarcastically,  
>"Well, I had wanted to be the one to surpass God, but I guess Maka can take the credit... Just this once."<br>Harlan looks at his father in question and sighs when he is met with a blank stare in return.  
>"You really have grown old, Father."<br>Maka's mouth is set in a ferocious growl when Harlan turns to her and starts speaking as though she is an idiot.  
>"Your attack kills demons, correct?"<br>"Yes." She throws the answer out bitingly through gritted teeth.  
>"And what exactly is Asura?"<br>"He's-" When she starts, her voice is laced so thickly with her anger that everyone in the room can hear it. Harlan doesn't even let her finish.  
>"Human, you completely idiotic excuse for a moron."<br>"That's not-"  
>"- reason he's called the Demon-"<br>"Asura is a demon."  
>"No, he isn't. He is human. He may have injested his weapon, he may have eaten countless human souls. Despite all this however, he is still one hundred per cent human. Demons are born into this world, my dear; and I assure you, Asura was born human."<br>The silence is stifling and Maka's face burns red as she tries to hold back the tears at Harlan's next words.  
>"Your attack is useless."<br>Stein clears his throat and retorts,  
>"The Demon Hunter works on two levels. Even if Asura is human, the attack will-"<br>"Oh yes, eliminate all evil and purge impurities."  
>"You find something wrong with that, Harlan?" Sirius has to sweatdrop at how much he's overlooked.<br>"Is insanity evil?"  
>Before anyone can respond, Harlan has already begun again,<br>"No. Insanity is an emotion that exists deep inside every individual's heart. That, of course, includes each and every one of you as well. If you think you can use Demon Hunter to expel the 'evil' from Asura, then you're deluded. Asura doesn't create insanity and then infect the masses with it. He merely amplifies and agitates the insanity that lies in everyone. Like I said, Demon Hunter is useless."  
>"If anyone, the most effective would be Black Star."<br>Fred's appraisal of the young boy startles the room.  
>Luna nods and turns now to inspect the last surviving member of the Star Clan.<br>"What?" It is not just Maka's disbelief that circulates the table. Stein, though confident in Black Star's ability, is just as doubtful of it against Asura of all opponents.  
>Fred and George's clinical examination of Black Star is unnerving for the boy sitting besise Tsubaki.<br>"He fits the profile, correct."  
>"Stronger than the rest."<br>"Faster than the rest."  
>"Better manipulation-"<br>"- of his soul than-"  
>"- the remainder of his-"<br>"- team. His endurance is-"  
>"- only matched by his-"<br>"- skill at the sword, which-"  
>"- still needs improving, he-"<br>Harlan interrupts the twins just as they conclude,  
>"- would most likely be the best weapon against Asura. Albarn's control of Soul can't be matched against Black Star's use of Tsubaki in ninja form and Kid's-"<br>"And how would any of you know that? Last I checked, none of you have witnessed them fight." Stein is both perplexed and annoyed that that he feels so out of the loop.  
>Luna's answer is shocking and births the first seeds of resentment in Maka's heart.<br>"Father was kind enough to let us read his mind."  
>"You can all read minds?" Luna can see the distrust forming in Tsubaki's eyes.<br>"A skill that my family is passable at, correct. Unfortunately it's a skill that is useless to most. You cannot read the mind of another without an invitation to do so."  
>A lie. Occlumency was a skill that was dangerous in the hands of those not skilled enough, as result they had kept it's art strictly confined to the family.<br>Tusbaki's relief is almost tangible.  
>"So back to the world-wide crisis that we're facing..." George's voice brings them all back to attention.<br>Lord Death clears his throat,  
>"A war council will be held. Stein, please contact the heads of each branch; Europe, Oceania, all of them."<br>He turns now to his children,  
>"Luna, will you be taking control of all military force?"<br>"Not a good idea." She shakes her head, "Half-way through battle is not the best time to introduce a new leader, some of the fighters may harbour some resentment at the change."  
>Harlan takes charge from here.<br>"Fred will accompany you to the war council. Who will be main attack force against Asura?"  
>"You'll be wanting Class Crescent Moon and it's instructors."<br>"Students? Really?" Luna's sarcasm in reply to Death is voiced with such disbelief that even Harlan has to agree.  
>"We'll be taking those students then."<br>Here Fred speaks,  
>"They'll be brushing up on the students training while we sort out battle plans. We should be ready to move out by tomorrow morning."<br>"Enough time to pummel enough knowledge into the kids heads to keep them alive."  
>The sadistic grin from Luna is unnerving for the students who are seated at the table.<br>Asura would never know what him.

**FINITO**

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><p>* references to Frankenstein. The original publishing of the novel was entitled 'Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus'. Supposedly the book serves as a warning against the expansion of modern man (Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals).<p>

"_How I, then a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea_?" Written by the author, Mary Shelley, and published in the preface of the 1831 edition of Frankenstein.

'... _there are wretched affects of allowing ambition to push one to aim beyond what one is capable of achieving_.'  
>In the beginning of the novel Victor Frankenstein says this to Captain Walton as a warning before he starts his tale of how he came to be in the North Pole.<p>

"_I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart_."  
>Quote from Victor Frankenstein after he brings his creation to life and realizes that the beautiful creature he had envisioned was in fact, a monster.<p>

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><p>This is complete. I wrote this because the idea has been spinning through my head for a while now and I've finally gotten the time to take it all down. If anything it was just a short story to relieve some of my author's block that I've been harboring for a while now.<p>

Remember to hit that Review button. Cheers!

- Des.


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